Chronologically stacked coupon mailer
A coupon mailer with a plurality of stacked sheets interconnected along opposite edges. Each sheet has a plurality of detachable redeemable coupons redeemable through a redemption period. The sheets are chronologically stacked based upon the redemption period of the coupons on the sheet.
Coupons are a much utilized aspect of advertising. Consumers redeem coupons to obtain goods and/or services at a reduced price. Business owners utilize coupons in an effort to increase sales. One of the keys to achieving good consumer response to coupon-based advertising is providing the coupon in such a fashion that the coupon is saved in a conspicuous location for an extended period of time to enhance the chances that the consumer will remember the coupon when the consumer needs to purchase the type of goods and/or services advertised on the coupon.
Many businesses and cooperative advertisers mail sheets containing a plurality of coupons—commonly known as coupon mailers—with an attached magnet so that consumers may attach the coupon mailer to the side of a metal appliance (e.g., a refrigerator or a filing cabinet). These coupon mailers commonly provide cut lines or lines of perforation between coupons to facilitate removal of individual coupons from the coupon mailer.
While such magnetized coupon mailers enjoy a reasonable cost per redemption (i.e., cost to produce and mail the coupon mailer divided by the number of coupons redeemed) a continuing need exists for a coupon mailer having an enhanced cost per redemption.
SUMMARY OF INVENTIONThe invention is a coupon mailer. The coupon mailer includes a plurality of stacked sheets interconnected along opposite edges. Each sheet has a plurality of detachable redeemable coupons redeemable through a redemption period. The sheets are chronologically stacked based upon the redemption period of the coupons on the sheet.
A preferred embodiment of the coupon mailer has sheets which are each divided into at least (i) a header panel defining the top edge, (ii) a spine integrally connected with and longitudinally extending from the header panel, and (iii) a first set of coupons laterally extending from the spine in a first lateral direction with each coupon having (A) a proximal end directly attached to the spine, (B) an unsupported distal end opposite the proximal end, (C) a line of separation along the interface of the spine and the coupon, and (D) printed indicia on the first major surface. A magnet is attached to the second major surface of the lowermost sheet in the stack of sheets.
10 Coupon Mailer
20 Sheet
20a Uppermost Sheet
20b Intermediate Sheets
20c Lowermost Sheet
20h Sheet Height
20w Sheet Width
21 First Major Surface
22 Second Major Surface
23 Top Edge of Sheet
24 Bottom Edge of Sheet
25 Right Side Edge of Sheet
26 Left Side Edge of Sheet
27 Indicia Indicating Redemption Period for Coupons On the Sheet
30 Header Panel
40 Spine
50 First Set of Coupons
51 Coupon
52 Proximal End of Coupon
53 Distal End of Coupon
54 Line of Separation
55 Printed Indicia
56 Expiration Date
60 Magnet
70 Second Set of Coupons
71 Coupon
72 Proximal End of Coupon
73 Distal End of Coupon
74 Line of Separation
75 Printed Indicia
80 Footer Panel
84 Line of Separation
91 Adhesive Along Top Edge
92 Adhesive Along Bottom Edge
x Longitudinal Direction
y Lateral Direction
y1 First Lateral Direction
y2 Second Lateral Direction
Construction
Referring to
Each of the sheets 20 forming the coupon mailer 10 include a top edge 23, a bottom edge 24, a right side edge 25 and a left side edge 26. The sheets 20 are interconnected along opposite edges (e.g., the top edge 23 and bottom edge 24, or the right side edge 25 and left side edge 26). The sheets 20 may be interconnected by any known means for interconnecting such sheets 20 including pressure sensitive adhesives, hot melt adhesives, staples, rivets, etc. As shown in
As shown in
The sheets 20 forming each coupon mailer 10 are chronologically stacked based upon the redemption period for the coupons 51 on the sheet 20. Examples of suitable chronology are set forth in Table One below.
Each sheet 20 in the coupon mailer 10 includes indicia 27 on the first major surface 21 of the sheet 20 indicating the redemption period for the set of coupons 50 on the sheet 20. Such indicia 27 may be position anywhere on the first surface 21 of the sheet 20 but is preferably located on a commons area of the sheet 20.
The sheet 20 may be configured and arranged as desired, with a preferred configuration dividing the sheet 20 into a commons area having a header panel 30 and a spine 40, a first set of coupons 50, and a detachable footer panel 80.
The sheet 20 may be made from any suitable material such as paperboard, paper, and cardboard. Preferably the sheet 20 and another one is made from paperboard.
The sheets 20 may have any desired size and shape. Preferably the sheets 20 are uniformly sized with a height 20h between about 8 to 20 inches and a width 20w of between about 8 to 20 inches. Most preferably the sheets 20 are rectangular in shape with a height 20h of about 5 inches and a width 20w of about 6 inches.
The sheets 20 forming each coupon mailer 10 may have a uniform size and shape (e.g., rectangular sheets 20 having a consistent height 20h and width 20w), may have an alternating size and shape (e.g., every other sheet 20 is 0.5 inches shorter than the other sheets 20) or may have unique shapes (e.g., sheet 20 with banked side tabs (not shown)). The sheets 20 in each coupon mailer 10 may be aligned along none, one, some or all edges. Alternatively, none, one, some or all of the edges may be fanned, shingled or similarly offset.
As shown in
As shown in
When the coupon mailer 10 is interconnected along the top edge 23 and the bottom edge 24, each of the sheets 20 preferably include a detachable footer panel 80 which may be quickly and easily removed from the balance of the coupon mailer 10 by the recipient of the coupon mailer 10 in order to allow the recipient to flip through and view underlying sheets 20b and 20c. The footer panel 80 may be conveniently attached to the balance of the coupon mailer 10 along a line of separation 84, such as a line of perforation.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Use
Each of the coupons 51 and/or 71 on the coupon mailer 10 include printed indicia 55 and/or 75 on the first major surface 21 as necessary and appropriate for creating redeemable coupons 51 and/or 71. The coupons 51 and/or 71 on a given sheet 20 may all be redeemable with a single business, or may be individually redeemable with several different businesses (e.g., cooperative advertising).
The coupon mailer 10 may be distributed to potential customers through the mail or hand distributed. Once the consumer receives the coupon mailer 10, the consumer may detach the footer panel 80 along the line of separation 74, and mount the coupon mailer 10 to a vertical metallic surface by the magnet 60 for subsequent perusal and use. When the consumer wishes to utilize one of the coupons 51 or 71, the coupon 51 or 71 may be removed from the first set of coupons 50 or the second set of coupons 70 (if provided) along the lines of separation 54 or 74.
Individual coupons 51 or 71 may be detached from each sheet 20 without detaching the other coupons 51 or 71 from the sheet 20 by simply separating the desired coupon 51 or 71 from the balance of the sheet 20 along the lateral y lines of separation 54 or 74 immediately above and immediately below the desired coupon 51 or 71, and then separating the desired coupon 51 or 71 from the spine 40 along the longitudinal x line of separation between the desired coupon 51 and the spine 40.
When the redemption period for the set of redeemable coupons 50 and/or 70 on the currently visible sheet 20 has expired, the consumer may simply remove that sheet 20 to reveal the next sheet 20 in sequence. Since the sheets 20 forming the coupon mailer 10 are chronologically stacked, the newly exposed sheet 20 will have coupons 51 and/or 71 with a more current redemption period.
Coupon mailers 10 of the present invention allow a single mailer 10 to include coupons 51 and/or 71 that are redeemable at different times in a format that makes it simple and easy for the consumer to understand and appreciate the redemption period of the coupons 51 and/or 71.
Claims
1. A coupon mailer comprising:
- a plurality of stacked sheets, each sheet including a top and a bottom edge, the top and bottom edges each define a length, such that the sheets are connected to each other proximate at least one of the top and bottom edges and in a lateral direction along the length defined by the top or the bottom edge,
- each sheet having a header panel, a footer panel, and a spine extending between the header and footer panels, the spine is connected to each of the header and footer panels and is laterally centered along the length defined by the top and bottom edges, the spine having a dimension supportable of indicia containing redemption information;
- a first set of detachable coupons and a second set of detachable coupons are arranged along sides of the spine and are connected to the spine through lines of perforation, comprising: the first set of detachable coupons is attached to one of a right or left side of the spine through a line of perforation, and is arranged in a column format along the right or left side of the spine and extending between the header and footer panels, each coupon of the first set of detachable coupons having opposite ends, one of the ends is attached to the right or left side of the spine through the line of perforation and the other end is not attached to the spine, the second set of detachable coupons is attached to the other of the right or left side of the spine through another line of perforation, and is arranged in a column format along the other of the right or left side of the spine and extending between the header and footer panels, each coupon of the second set of detachable coupons having opposite ends, one of the ends is attached to the other of the right or left side of the spine through the another line of perforation and the other end is not attached to the spine,
- each sheet having a surface with indicia disposed thereon, the indicia is disposed on at least one of the header panel and the spine, the indicia including redemption information, such that the redemption information on at least one of the header panel and the spine of an upper sheet has an earlier redemption period than a lower sheet;
- each coupon of the first and second sets of detachable coupons having a surface with indicia disposed thereon, the indicia including redemption information, such that the redemption information of the first and second sets of detachable coupons on an upper sheet has an earlier redemption period than the first and second sets of detachable coupons on a lower sheet.
2. The coupon mailer of claim 1, wherein the plurality of stacked sheets includes at least two sheets.
3. The coupon mailer of claim 1, wherein the header panel is disposed at one of the top and bottom edges of the plurality of stacked sheets, and the footer panel is disposed at the other of the top and bottom edges of the plurality of stacked sheets.
4. The coupon mailer of claim 1, further comprising a bottom line of perforation that extends along the length defined by the bottom edge and is between the footer panel and the spine and the first and second sets of detachable coupons,
- wherein the footer panel is connected to the spine and the first and second sets of detachable coupons through the bottom line of perforation, such that the footer panel is detachable from the spine.
5. The coupon mailer of claim 1, wherein the header panel is integral with the spine.
6. The coupon mailer of claim 1, wherein the plurality of stacked sheets includes edges that are all aligned.
7. The coupon mailer of claim 1, wherein the plurality of stacked sheets including uniform height and width, and are a generally rectangular shape, such that the height is defined from the top edges to the bottom edges of the plurality of stacked sheets and represents a long side of the generally rectangular shape.
8. The coupon mailer of claim 1, wherein the first and second sets of detachable coupons are at least one of redeemable coupons for at least one of goods and services from a single business and redeemable coupons for at least one of goods and services from multiple businesses.
9. The coupon mailer of claim 1, wherein each coupon within each of the first and second sets of detachable coupons having at least one edge adjoining an edge of another coupon, such that the coupons within each of the first and second sets of detachable coupons are stacked adjacently in the column format.
10. The coupon mailer of claim 9, wherein the coupons within each of the first and second sets of detachable coupons are adjoined through lines of perforation.
11. The coupon mailer of claim 10, wherein the lines of perforation adjoining the first and second sets of detachable coupons laterally extend from the spine to lateral ends of each sheet.
12. The coupon mailer of claim 1, wherein the coupons within each of the first and second sets of detachable coupons are respectively detachable from the spine along the line of perforation and the another line of perforation.
13. The coupon mailer of claim 1, wherein the other end of each coupon that is not attached to the spine is a free end.
14. The coupon mailer of claim 1, wherein, for each respective sheet in the plurality of stacked sheets, the indicia disposed on at least one of the header panel and the spine includes an indication of the redemption period disposed on each coupon of the first and second sets of detachable coupons.
15. The coupon mailer of claim 1, wherein the redemption information of the indicia disposed on at least one of the header panel and the spine includes an expiration date.
16. The coupon mailer of claim 1, wherein the redemption information of the indicia disposed on each coupon of the first and second sets of detachable coupons includes an expiration date.
17. The coupon mailer of claim 1, further comprising a magnet disposed on a backside of a lower most sheet of the plurality of stacked sheets.
18. The coupon mailer of claim 17, wherein the magnet is disposed on a backside of only the lowermost sheet of the plurality of stacked sheets, such that the magnet is disposed on the backside of the header panel of the lowermost sheet.
19. A coupon mailer comprising: a plurality of stacked sheets, each sheet including a top and a bottom edge that define a length of each sheet, and the sheets are connected to each other proximate at least one of the top and bottom edges, each sheet having a header panel, a footer panel, and a spine extending between the header and footer panels, the spine is connected to the header and footer panels; a plurality of detachable coupons arranged in a column format along right and left sides of the spine, each coupon having opposite ends, one of the ends is attached to one of the right and left sides of the spine and the other end is not attached to the spine; each sheet having a surface with indicia disposed thereon, the indicia is disposed on at least one of the header panel and the spine, the indicia including redemption information, such that the redemption information on at least one of the header panel and the spine of an upper sheet has an earlier redemption period than a lower sheet; each coupon of the plurality of detachable coupons having a surface with indicia disposed thereon, the indicia including redemption information, such that the redemption information of the plurality of detachable coupons on an upper sheet has an earlier redemption period than the plurality of detachable coupons on a lower sheet, further comprising a bottom line of perforation that extends along the length defined by the bottom edge and is between the footer panel and the spine, the first set of detachable coupons, and the second set of detachable coupons, wherein the footer panel is connected to the spine and the first and second sets of detachable coupons through the bottom line of perforation, such that the footer panel is detachable from the spine.
20. The coupon mailer of claim 19, wherein the spine is laterally centered along the length defined by the top and bottom edges, the spine having a dimension supportable of indicia containing redemption information.
21. The coupon mailer of claim 19, wherein the plurality of detachable coupons comprising:
- a first set of detachable coupons and a second set of detachable coupons arranged along the right and left sides of the spine, comprising: the first set of detachable coupons is attached to one of the right or left side of the spine through a line of perforation, and is arranged in a column format along the right or left side of the spine and extending between the header and footer panels, each coupon of the first set of detachable coupons having opposite ends, one of the ends is attached to the right or left side of the spine through the line of perforation and the other end is not attached to the spine, the second set of detachable coupons is attached to the other of the right or left side of the spine through another line of perforation, and is arranged in a column format along the other of the right or left side of the spine and extending between the header and footer panels, each coupon of the second set of detachable coupons having opposite ends, one of the ends is attached to the other of the right or left side of the spine through the another line of perforation and the other end is not attached to the spine.
22. The coupon mailer of claim 21, wherein each coupon within each of the first and second sets of detachable coupons having at least one edge adjoining an edge of another coupon, such that the coupons within each of the first and second sets of detachable coupons are stacked adjacently in the column format, the coupons within each of the first and second sets of detachable coupons are adjoined through lines of perforation, the lines of perforation adjoining the first and second sets of detachable coupons laterally extend from the spine to lateral ends of each sheet.
23. The coupon mailer of claim 1, in which redemption periods are consecutive calendar weeks.
24. The coupon mailer of claim 1, in which there is a plurality of coupons for any same redemption period.
25. The coupon mailer of claim 19, in which redemption periods are consecutive calendar weeks.
26. The coupon mailer of claim 19, in which there is a plurality of coupons for any same redemption period.
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- http://www.monstermagnet.com/images/Einstein—front—lrg.jpg, Feb. 8, 2005. Archive webpage from www.archive.org.
- Coupon from http://www.monstermagnet.com/images/Einstein—front—lrg.jpg, Feb. 8, 2005□□□□Archive web page from www.archive.org.
Type: Grant
Filed: Jun 9, 2011
Date of Patent: Jul 17, 2012
Assignee: C.G.H. Inc. (Spring Park, MN)
Inventor: Steven B. Foust (Spring Lake Park, MN)
Primary Examiner: Edward Tolan
Assistant Examiner: Kyle Grabowski
Attorney: Dicke Billig & Czaja
Application Number: 13/157,022
International Classification: B42D 5/00 (20060101);